


A Thousands Candles and Live Swans

by Lil_Redhead



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Captain Swan - Freeform, F/M, First Date, actually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-08-14 22:19:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8031082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_Redhead/pseuds/Lil_Redhead
Summary: For the Captain Swan Story Book. In which Killian almost plans to use a thousand candles and live swans for his first date with Emma.





	A Thousands Candles and Live Swans

 

“I’d like to humbly thank you for asking for my company this evening. I’m having a great time!” Killian said, staring at the empty seat across from him. He sat with his arms folded in front of him on the wooden table of his quarters. His tightly woven fingers shook with performance anxiety, an odd feeling to have when addressing an imaginary woman. 

He probably sounded ridiculous, rehearsing their date like this. It was times like these that Killian was almost glad he didn’t have the Jolly Roger. The last thing he needed was his crew overhearing him pretending to woo a woman while he was alone in his cabin. 

Not that Killian Jones needed to  _ practice  _ his wooing skills. He knew how to charm a lady, thank you very much. This was simply a fortification of sorts that he hoped would embolden his natural ability.

It’s just that when he started thinking about what he’d say to her during the date, the things they’d talk about and all, Killian realized in his head he sounded like a right git. Turns out, he sounded even more ridiculous outloud. But it was necessary. He had one shot for a quiet evening with Emma. If this night didn’t go well, Killian doubted he’d have a second chance to make it up to her. 

“I chose this restaurant just for tonight,” Killian spoke, trying his opening line again. “Just for you.” 

Killian dropped his head into his hand, ruffling his hair to try to shake some sense into himself. He sounded like a stalker. If Liam was here, he’d just say  _ Be yourself little brother -  _ younger brother -  _ and don’t overthink it.  _

Liam would be right, of course, but it didn’t make it any easier. Be himself? Who even was he? The deckhand who had a drinking and gambling problem? The Lieutenant who easily gave away the only sliver of honor he ever had for a life of piracy? The one-handed pirate who stole wives and ruined families? 

Gods, he had no idea what he was going to do. Emma Swan definitely deserved more than even the slightest hint of any of the people he was and still could be.

_ Show her the man of honor, Killian. You’re a man of honor,  _ Liam’s voice told him in his head. So he decided to try again. 

“I’m not quite familiar with this world just yet, but I chose this restaurant because it’s by the docks and we both like the sea,” he murmured, beginning to feel stupid. But it worked! This particular statement was entirely truthful, considered both of their interests, and let Emma know that he put some thought into planning this evening together.

He  _ did  _ know how to plan an evening, after all. 

He imagined that in reply, Emma would smile and approve of the restaurant. Just the mere mental reflection of her grin made a small smile fall onto his own lips. 

Practicing for their date after that went so well, that at points, Killian had to remember he wasn’t actually on it. He’d find himself reaching across the table to hold her hand, only to find cool air instead of soft skin. 

The one part of their date he didn’t practice - to protect his pride and dignity - was the part where he’d walk her home after a nice evening, drop her off at her door, and say “I had a wonderful time tonight.” What would come next...The gentle press of her lips that he’d already felt more than once, her sweet hands pulling at the hair that rested on the back of his neck...It would be confirmation that this quiet evening together would not be the last. 

All he had to do was leave the pirate at home and bring the man of honor.

*

“Emma, what’s the face for?” Mary Margaret asked, eyes peering up from her magic spell. For hours they’d been researching about where the Snow Queen could’ve come from and how they could get rid of some of the things she’d plagued the town with. The predicament called for immediate solutions, which could only be brought about by endless hours of research. It wasn’t Emma’s fault that her mind slipped a little.

“What face? This is my thinking face,” Emma replied. She must’ve gotten her lying superpower from her mom, though, because Snow just rose an eyebrow that said  _ Not-buying-it. _

“Thinking about a  _ certain sailor  _ face, maybe?” 

Emma still hadn’t told her mom about the date she had planned tonight, not because she was embarrassed to be going out with Hook, but because she knew her mother. Snow White could turn even the simplest affair in the world’s largest celebration. There’d be pictures, planning outfits, maybe painting each other’s nails. Which was nice and all, Emma actually secretly wanted all those things a little bit, but she wanted to end this Snow Queen thing once and for all even more. Her night with Killian would distract her, but she didn’t want to spend any more time than she needed to relaxing for the sake of her own stress levels.

No one else cared about the Savior’s stress levels - except Killian maybe - so why should she? 

Emma was going to have to tell her mom about the date eventually, since Hook texted that he’d be picking her up at seven sharp. 

“What is it? Have you two not been getting along lately?” Snow pressed further. 

“No, no, it’s not that. Kinda the opposite, actually.” Emma pushed a stray hair behind her ears and wetted her lips. “I asked him out on a date.” 

Snow blinked a few times, not looking nearly as surprised as Emma anticipated. Instead she looked a bit confused, mixed with what Emma hoped was excitement. 

“ _ You  _ asked  _ him? _ ” Mary Margaret asked, astonished. 

“Why is that always the important detail?” Emma chuckled nervously, remembering the way Killian’s walls had gone up as soon as the question left her lips. Of course, once he realized that things with them had never been traditional, he accepted the offer and was back to his usual flirting self. 

“I guess I’m just surprised is all,” her mom continued. “He was the one who had interest first.” 

“So he’s letting me set the pace.” Emma shrugged. Killian was good like that. Never crossing the line, only pushing the boundaries in a way that encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone and get shit done. Always unconditionally supportive, which was so unlike the rest of the men she’d seen.  

Suddenly Emma  _ really  _ wished it was seven already so they could just get this show on the road. 

“You look happy, Emma.” 

Emma’s lips lifted, eyes crinkling in the corners. When was the last time someone outside of her immediate family made her smile so genuinely?

“I am happy. I think tonight is going to go well.” 

Maybe she should’ve been worried that Killian was planning the evening when he barely knew how to use a cellphone. The anxious feeling inside of her wasn’t laced with heavy dread, like it usually was with first dates (or any date really). It felt more like dancing butterflies that could flutter enough to lift her off the ground and into the clouds. 

Good god, she was like a high school teenager with a crush again. She loved every second of it.

*

Killian paced back and forth in his room, trying to stretch out his new pants. When he first purchased them, the shop assistant insisted that the dark jeans were supposed to be that tight. They were different than his usual leather trousers, which were taut to his skin but still were able to bend and breathe. This was just uncomfortable. 

He tried some kicks upwards, but soon decided that wasn’t the best idea. Ripping his  _ only pair  _ of 21st century jeans just hours before his date with Emma would just about ruin the night, his pride, and quite possibly the rest of his life. 

He had to admit, putting the clothes on was a lot easier now that he had both hands to dress with. The hook would’ve definitely inflicted some sort of damage to his new attire. 

Again, no wardrobe malfunctions allowed before the big night. 

Killian caught a glance at himself in the mirror and lifted an eyebrow. He didn’t see a three hundred year old pirate who hadn’t properly courted a lady in three hundred years. He looked like a modern man ready to take his girl out. 

Except he was anything but ready.

Nearing the mirror, Killian honed in a few minute details and scowled. The first thing he noticed was the smudged blackness around his eyes; kohl that he rubbed around in his nervous anticipation. Then of course, pointing out all the other imperfections were so much easier. His beard needed trimmed. His hair was an utter mess and needed a comb at the earliest second he could find one. The skin beneath his fingernails was filthy. So many things needed adjusted and groomed. 

But he had time. A whole hour and a half, and then it would all begin. 

*

Emma had time to pull herself together. A whole two minutes, and then it would all begin. 

Walking down the stairs, Emma realized that her date with Killian had already begun to distract her from her “Savior Responsibilities” and it had hadn’t even started yet. She wasn’t exactly sure if nervousness was a fantastic trade for the stress, but she  _ was  _ sure that there was a good possibility that her heart would jump out of her chest in the next thirty seconds.

Taking a deep breath she approached her family. 

“Okay, I want honest opinions. What do we think?” she said, trying to sound nonchalant. 

The room went silent as the Nolans and Elsa examined a very date-ready Emma. It wasn’t exactly what she tended to wear on dates, a soft pink dress with rosy cheeks and a high ponytail, but it matched the occasion. 

Besides, she was  _ not  _ about to walk down those steps in a firetruck red bodycon dress and have to face her father. 

“Wow...” Snow sighed.

“What your mother said,” David chimed in, just as awed.

The amazement in the room didn’t stop Elsa from asking, “Is that just the corset? Where’s the rest of it?” Emma frowned, looking down at her dress. Elsa’s bodice was just as tight as hers was. 

“This is the rest of it.” 

Less than one minute left now. 

Through the flashes of her mom’s polaroid camera and the unhappy look on her father’s face (that was no doubt because of who Emma’s company was going to be), she could only think of one thing. In just seconds, there’d be a man on the other side of the door who absolutely adored her and who she was beginning to absolutely adore in return. 

_ Knock knock knock.  _ Emma bit back a squeak, heart rate skyrocketing exponentially. She could almost  _ feel  _ him standing in the hallway, just as nervous as she was. Maybe it was her magic, or maybe it was just her intuition, but the connection was there. It made her want to open the door even sooner. 

*

Killian’s eyes were glued to the floor as the door swung open. He wanted to reveal this beautiful treasure to himself all at once. When his eyes rose, his breath evaporated and for a few moments, he wasn’t living off of oxygen. He was living off of the beauty of the woman he loved. 

He’d experienced this woman at her worst, but always thought that in each opportunity to see her, she was always at her best. Tonight, though, she excelled all expectations, entirely angelic in her own transcendence. She was like a goddess on earth, dressed in a soft peachy pink dress that reminded him of home in the way it flowed. Each billow of her skirts was a crashing of the oceans waves, each flit of her hair was a gentle, salty sea breeze.

“You look  _ stunning,  _ Swan,” he managed to say. Emma took a half step back, mirroring the astonishment on his face with her own parted lips and wide eyes. 

“You look...” she trailed off, trying to find the right words. 

“I know,” he supplied, knowing exactly what she was noticing first. It wasn’t everyday a three hundred year old pirate sported clothing from the modern realm. “Now that I’m settling into this world, I finally thought it was time to dress the part.”

He wasn’t nearly as concerned with his words as he was with the rose he was holding in his left hand, the rose that would reveal the newest and biggest change. 

“Yeah, you really went all out!” she replied with an almost embarrassed chuckle. Emma reached forward to accept the rose as he offered it, not noticing his new appendage (much to Killian’s amusement).

Snow was the first to see it. “Uh, Emma?”

Swan’s head snapped right down to his left hand, like her subconscious had noticed before she herself did. With wide eyes she asked, “Is that...?”

“Mine? Yeah,” he answered, peering down at his palm. “The Dark One kindly has restored what he once took from me. It seems he has indeed changed his ways.”

He tried to believe it as much as he could, even if just for a few seconds, to avoid setting off Emma’s lying superpower. If she caught him, and what he’d really done, the evening could easily be ruined. Not only would she be disappointed in him for visiting his old blackmailing ways, but she’d also have to add Rumplestiltskin to the list of people she needed to save the town from. 

Luckily, everyone in the room - including Emma - accepted this, and nodded thoughtfully. 

“So what do I call you now? Captain Hand?” Emma teased, a playful spark in her voice and lift in her eyebrows. 

“Killian will do.”

“Alright Killian,” gods be praised, his name sounded heavenly on her lips, “let’s get out of here before David gives you his ‘overprotective dad speech.’”

It turns out David managed to tone back his speech enough so that Killian could get Emma out the door and headed toward their destination on time. 

As they trailed away from the loft, Killian’s left hand hovered over Emma’s waist just enough to be able to feel the soft fabric of her dress, but not enough to give him the satisfaction of holding her close to him. Feeling him linger so close to her, Emma reached over with her right hand and pulled his fingers to hold her waist. She wrapped the other arm around his own back. Killian’s heart stuttered.

“So, what do you have planned for us?” Emma asked, breaking into the comfortable silence.

“I thought we’d keep it simple. Have dinner together and go for a walk afterwards. Does that sound alright?” Emma could probably sense the nervousness in his voice. What if she wanted more than just dinner and walk? What if she wanted to eat and go home?

“It sounds perfect,” she admitted. “Gotta admit, I’m a little surprised.” 

Killian cocked a brow and turned his head to look over at her. “Aye? Why’s that?” 

“I thought there’d be some big romantic gesture involving a thousand candles and actual live swans.” Killian chuckled, a bit forcefully because deep in the crevices of his idea crafting, something along those lines had actually crossed his mind. 

“Can’t go wrong with dinner and a moonlit walk, Swan. I figured that if the town were to suddenly need its Savior, I’d be able to follow you, instead of needing to stay behind to put the swans back in their cages,” Killian explained, half joking, half truthful. He waited a breath before asking, “You’re not disappointed are you?” 

Emma stopped walking, taking both hands in hers. Their eyes met, and Killian swore he felt each of the shimmering glistens in her eyes like sparks in his nerves. She saw right through his sky-high walls of insecurity and climbed them like she were trailing across flatlands. 

“Hey, anything you would’ve planned would’ve been fine. Like I said, tonight is perfect. I am the one who asked you out, don’t forget.”

Killian smiled, feeling affection swell his heart to its seams. They walked to the restaurant hand in hand, small grins on each of their faces, and a warm feeling through their chests.

*

Emma was equally unsurprised by how well dinner went as she was with the interruption (because  _ of course _ that thief would be in the same restaurant, at the same time as her and her date were). She was proud of herself for putting her sheriff duties on hold so she could have these few hours to herself. 

The thing that did surprise her, however, was Killian’s outburst which left as soon as it came. A flicker of a flame, snuffed out in seconds. He seemed a little shocked by himself too, so instead of feeling uneasy - like she thought she ought to be - she felt reassured. Having his hand again probably hashed up some old habits, and the fact that he was strong enough to recognize them and seek control them was proof enough to Emma that he had changed. 

Anyone who thought differently could speak to her privately on the matter and get their nose punched. 

When the food came, they both unwrapped their silverware from the fancy cloth napkins. Emma reached across the table and picked up his fork, holding it before him so he could examine it closely. 

“This is called a fork. You eat with it. Say it slow with me,  _ foooor- _ ” Killian snatched the utensil from her grip and scowled.

“I know what a bloody fork is, Swan,” but his frown was erased from his face when he heard her laughing. 

“I know, I know, I’m just teasing you.”   


“That’s a lesson probably better suited for Ariel, I’d say. What does she call these? Thingamabobs?” Emma’s laughter poured out of her so loud that a few heads turned in their direction. Neither of them cared. 

“In her defense, she did live the majority of her life underwater.” 

Emma was relieved when conversation came easy with the two of them. It always had, but she’d been concerned that the romantic setting would make it...different somehow. But he was the same old Killian, just as clever and flirtatious, just as kind and charming. His appearance had changed drastically, but the man was still the same.

She suddenly was looking forward to that goodnight kiss she’d be receiving at the end of the evening. Maybe she could sneak a few more in, since of course, he wouldn’t argue even remotely. 

A moan broke Emma out of her thoughts, and her eyes snapped straight to her date. Killian had just taken his first bite of spaghetti, something he’d never tried and Emma insisted he have. While his reaction made her laugh, she’d be lying if she didn’t admit that his pleasured moan had stirred warmth in her abdomen. 

“Like it?” she asked, digging into her own chicken alfredo.    
“Bloody ‘ell,” he murmured though a full mouth. After swallowing, he stared up at her in amazement. “It’s like ambrosia. What did you say this is called?” 

“Spaghetti,” she repeated, a grin splitting her cheeks.

“Strange name. Heavenly taste.” 

Watching him eat, taking bites between the casual conversation, made thoughts of the future appear across her eyes. Suddenly they weren’t in a fancy Italian eatery, but in a house they would call their own, sitting at their own dinner table. Killian would brag about how he perfected his spaghetti recipe and slaved over the meal they were about to share. They’d have a perfect view of the sea and of each other...

“Have I lost you, Swan?” Killian asked rousing her from her thoughts. Emma blinked a few times and shook her head. 

“No, I’m listening.” 

He didn’t buy it, but didn’t look very worried. She did, after all, have a wide smile on her lips. 

“What is it?” he pressed, curious more than anything else.

“Nothing,” Emma said with a shake of her head. “I’m just really enjoying myself.” 

Reaching across the table, Killian locked his free hand with hers. An emotion flooded over every single inch of his eyes down to the miniscule corners and each glint of reflected light. In that moment, Emma wasn’t afraid to admit that it might be love, and she wasn’t scared that she’d been imagining a future with him. Sure, once life kicked in, the fear would probably be back, but at least the date had given her a chance to sample what could be if they did this right. 

“Me too, Emma, me too.” 

Emma tightened their fingers. Maybe she’d have to ask him out more often. 

*

When the night was almost over, Emma savored the last few seconds of this quiet moment. She engraved each miniscule detail into her memory, hoping that once this ended, if she closed her eyes, she’d be able to remember again. The warmth of Killian’s jacket around her, the softness in his eyes as he looked at her, how easily their hands fit together. If she could, she’d spend all night just holding his hand, talking to him, being with him. 

The heavy desire in his voice when he was asked her for a “next time” almost made her fall to pieces right there in front of him. With the way tonight had gone, there wouldn’t just be a next time. There’d be a time after that, and time after that, until all that’d be left would be an eternity full of forevers to fill with each other. 

Emma made the first move, a gentle lean in. Then they were pulled together by an equal force, slowly dragging them closer together until their lips touched. It was like all of their kisses combined. A hint of passion. A dash of adoration. A magnitude of what Emma thought could be love. Each press of their lips another declaration.  _ I want this. I want you.  _ Each caress of a hand another answer.  _ I want this too. I want you most of all.  _

When she had returned his jacket and gone to bed, Killian began his trek back. The feeling of her still tingled against her lips as if it was still happening, mind foggy with lovesickness. In the air Killian could feel each of their silent confessions with a certain tangibility that he understood in his heart. 

The sweet melody of their budding love on the wind lulled him to sleep so that he could soon return home to her in his dreams.   


End file.
